


The Party Which Ends In Disaster

by ZDcookie_996



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Blow Jobs, Cheating, Fire, Hand Jobs, Hospitals, Kissing, M/M, Protective Boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22151137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: Jos decides to teach Lando and Max the real meaning of love as he attempts to test their relationship by setting the club holding Lando's 21st party on fire.
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/George Russell, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr, Lando Norris/Max Verstappen
Comments: 27
Kudos: 72





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Another story! This first chapter focuses on the party. The main pairing is Lando and Max but we do see a bit of Lando and Carlos. We won't see a full blown out affair, don't worry Max/Lando fans. Jos disrupts the party (be aware he will be making more appearances later on in the story) and sets the club on fire. The next chapter will see everyone's reactions to the fire as they try to escape. For the purpose of this story, the club is going to be old and not so big, you'll find out why in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this and please leave comments!

Lando’s party was in full swing. He had insisted that he didn’t want anything big for his 21st but when you had Max Verstappen as a boyfriend and Carlos as a good friend and teammate, celebrating a special birthday like that was never going to go down quietly. They had booked a club for the night in Monaco, just for friends and family seeing as Lando wasn’t usually into partying. Lando’s parents, siblings, friends, mechanics and some of the drivers from the paddock were invited. Only Max’s sister and mum were there from his side of the family. There was a strict guest list, the place was hired out so only people by invite were allowed to enter. Max just hoped that his dad didn’t turn up. He doubted it because Jos didn’t like his relationship with Lando nor did he like or agree with his son’s sexuality. This was Lando’s night and no one was going to ruin it. 

Lando happily leaned into Max as he took a sip of his drink, the Dutchman had an arm around his waist as they listened to Alex and Sacha argue over Japanese food or something. He wasn’t really paying attention. Everyone was having a good time. Lando’s parents were over in a corner with his siblings, just chatting and getting to know Max’s family better. His mechanics were hanging around at the bar and dancing with some of Lando’s friends. He could see Daniel trying to get people to dance as they had requested a dj to play songs by request. Carlos was sitting beside George and Charles, looking like a spare part as the two drivers were looking at each other with dreamy eyes, ignoring Carlos and especially Daniel. Lando turned back to at least try and pay attention to the conversation in front of him until a wolf whistle made him turn back round again. Daniel was busy clapping and shouting at George and Charles who were currently making out. The young Ferrari driver had his hand in his boyfriend’s hair as the brunette had an arm around Charles’ waist. Whether it was to do with the alcohol, Lando didn’t know but he was happy for George. Whilst the drivers knew about the different relationships such as Max and Lando plus Charles and George, no one got to see many of the pairs actually doing anything like kissing but it was good to see his friends were happy. He smiled and laughed at Daniel’s antics, turning back to face Max who shook his head fondly at the Aussie.

“Idiot.” He mumbled jokingly.

Lando wrapped his arms around Max and smiled at him, being careful not to drop his glass.

“Yeah and to think he used to be your teammate.” He teased. 

Max laughed and tightened his grip on Lando. Sacha and Alex made vomiting noises but ended up laughing at the looks on the couples faces.

“Shut up!” Warned Max, laughing as well.

The two young drivers were used to their friends but they liked to take the mickey out of them whenever it was possible. The press weren’t aware of the relationship so Max and Lando naturally just acted as friends in front of the cameras so they couldn’t kiss or act like the loving couple they were. 

Lando was distracted by watching Carlos. The Spaniard had moved away from Charles and George to get a drink. He saw Lando looking at him and he smiled. He headed over in his direction before cocking his head as an indication that the young Brit should follow him as he walked out of the room. Lando watched him leave before turning to look at Max and said in his ear to be heard over the loud music.

“I’m just going to the bathroom.” He said.

Max nodded and pulled him in for a quick kiss. He blushed as Sacha cooed at them.

“Aww, you’re so cute together.”

Lando chuckled lightly, placing his empty glass on the bar as he watched his boyfriend hit his friend on the shoulder in retaliation. He turned and headed in the direction that Carlos had gone. His teammate was standing outside the main door and smiled at him before leading him down a corridor. Lando frowned when Carlos looked around carefully then pulled him into a disabled toilet, locking the door behind him. The young Brit looked puzzled as he backed himself against the wall between the toilet and the sink as Carlos followed him.

“What are we doing here?” Asked Lando, confused.

Carlos gave him a sly grin.

“I thought I’d better give you your birthday present.” He whispered.

Lando’s eyes narrowed as Carlos stepped closer to him. Why did he have to come here to get his present? Carlos raised a hand to cup his teammate’s cheek and kissed him gently. The kiss didn’t last very long as Lando pulled back in shock.

“What are you doing? I’m with Max, we can’t do this.” He said.

Carlos looked back at him with hooded eyes and Lando struggled to focus. He did have a crush on his teammate but he had Max so he couldn’t let this go further.

“I’ve seen the way you look at me. I know you like me.” Carlos whispered.

The Spaniard wrapped his left arm around Lando’s waist and pulled him closer, taking great satisfaction when the young driver let out a gasp. He rubbed his nose against Lando’s and kissed him again. This time, Lando kissed back and wrapped his arms around Carlos’ waist. He didn’t know whether it was the alcohol that was doing this but Carlos tasted amazing. His lips were so soft and his stubble was something else. Max always shaved and so kissing Carlos was so different to kissing Max. When Carlos pulled at his bottom lip and soothed his tongue over it, he opened up and moaned when Carlos’ tongue met with his. This was incredible. They continued to kiss until they ran out of air then Carlos pulled away and attached his lips to the younger man’s neck. Lando sighed when he felt the lips on his neck and he raised a hand to fumble with the dark hair. 

“Carlos.” He said, slightly out of breath.

He could feel the Spaniard smiling against his skin. He nearly whined when his teammate pulled away from him. 

“How about I give you your present now?” He asked.

Lando just stared back at him and closed his eyes abruptly when Carlos moved closer to press their crotches together. The younger man could feel himself growing hard and was lost for words when Carlos suddenly shifted back to fumble with his jeans, pulling them down along with his underwear. Lando could hardly breathe. Carlos knelt down so that he was crouched in front of Lando’s cock. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered.

Lando’s head slammed back against the wall when Carlos began to kiss Lando’s cock and he nearly passed out when his teammate licked the tip. He looked down at Carlos who looked back up at him, then broke eye contact to focus on taking Lando’s cock in his mouth. The young man had to bite his lip to hold back the shouts that wanted to erupt from his mouth. Carlos had to hold onto Lando’s hips as his initial reaction had been to thrust them forward but Carlos didn’t want to choke so he held them back, slowly sucking and using his tongue to tease Lando. The Brit’s eyes rolled into the back of his head in pleasure as he moved his hand to curl back into his teammate’s dark hair again. Slowly but surely Lando knew that he was close to a release. 

“Carlos, I’m close.” He warned.

The Spaniard didn’t stop or pull back, swallowing the cum and licking his lips as he stood up, gazing at Lando who was out of breath. Carlos smiled at him.

“How about you help me with my problem?” Carlos asked.

He opened the button of his trousers before pushing them down along with his underwear. Lando’s eyes widened when he saw his hard cock. He moved a hand to grip the Spaniard’s cock, feeling guilt start to creep in suddenly knowing this was wrong when Carlos groaned. Carlos wrapped his own hand around Lando’s as he thrust into it, moving to rest his head on Lando’s shoulder. Their movements speed up until Carlos spills over their hands. Taking deep breaths, he eventually pulls away from Lando to grab tissues from beside the sink as he cleans himself up before throwing them in the bin then cleaning Lando. They both silently pull their underwear and trousers back up, trying to look presentable. Lando quickly moves to the sink, washing his hands and attempted to ignore Carlos who was standing next to him doing the same. When he was finished, he reached around Carlos to grab tissues to dry his hands and tried to leave until Carlos grabbed his wrist. Lando could smell alcohol as his teammate moved closer. 

“You know if you want another present, you can come to my hotel room later.” He grinned.

Lando instantly felt sick, regretting what had just happened. Yes he perhaps had a crush on Carlos but he had Max. Kind and sweet Max. What possessed him to do this? He pulled his wrist out of his teammate’s grip.

“No thanks.” He mumbled.

He fumbled with the lock and hauled the door open, running back in the direction of the main dance area. He took in a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, not looking back in the direction he’d just come from. Having glanced at the time, he headed to the bar and knew he’d have to make up an excuse on the spot to Max as to why he had taken so long. Once he had grabbed his drink and another for Max, he made his way back over to the table with high chairs that he had been at earlier where the drivers had been leaning against. He was somewhat surprised to see that Max, Alex and Sacha were still there although Daniel was now with them. The Aussie was cackling at something that had been said and Alex looked concerned. Perhaps Daniel had had a bit too much to drink. Lando went over and wrapped an arm around Max’s waist carefully. His boyfriend grinned at him.

“Hey, where have you been? We’ve had this muppet keeping us entertained.” He said, motioning to Daniel.

The Brit laughed as Daniel pouted before giggling softly. He shook his head at the tall driver.

“I went outside to get a bit of fresh air.” He lied as he turned to Max.

He lifted the bottle and Max thanked him before taking a sip as he pulled Lando forward to rest against his chest. Lando took a sip of his own drink, cuddling into his boyfriend’s chest. He glanced up at Max who was gazing at his boyfriend. Lando knew that Max loved him. He couldn’t tell him what had happened with Carlos, it would break him. He just hoped that his teammate wouldn’t say anything. Ignoring his friends, he leaned in to kiss Max. His boyfriend tightened his arms around him as he kissed back. The pair ignored the wolf whistles from Daniel and they eventually pulled apart, smiling softly at one another. 

“I love you.” Whispered Lando.

Max’s smile widened.

“Love you too.” 

Lando shifted so that he was resting his head on Max’s shoulder. He regretted the action when he saw Carlos in the distance staring at him. The Spaniard just looked at him for a moment before heading in the direction of the bar. Lando decided to forget about what happened and focus more on Max so he turned back to face the conversation. Again, the drivers were talking about something weird, as that would only happen when Daniel was around.

Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves and it wasn’t until shouting and scuffling could be heard, that everyone broke from their happy trance. Max looked furious as he turned around to see what all the commotion was about. Jos was here. Of course it was him. He was fighting with security. The other man who was trying to drag Jos out at least had the decency to look apologetic as father and son glared daggers at each other. Everyone was silent as they watched to see what was going to happen. Even Daniel sobered up a little. All that could be heard was the loud music. Max to stand in front of Lando who looked terrified when he saw Jos. Max’s father had a history of threatening young Lando but Max wouldn’t stand for it. Nothing was going to ruin his boyfriend’s night.

“Get out.” Said Max, slowly.

Jos just chuckled.

“Why should I?” He asked.

“We don’t want you here and you certainly weren’t invited.” Replied Max.

Jos shook his head, dipping his head slightly to look at Lando who was peeking from behind Max.

“I hope you’re having a good night, Lando. It certainly won’t last.”

The young Brit swallowed nervously as Max started to lose patience.

“Go home, dad. Now.” He insisted.

Jos quickly shook the hand off that was placed on his arm as he turned on his heel and left. How dare they throw him out?

Max breathed a sigh of relief as he hugged Lando close to him, knowing that Lando didn’t like being anywhere near his dad. 

Outside, Jos was plotting. He didn’t want Max and Lando to be together. Max never listened to him. It wouldn’t do him any good being in a relationship with another driver, a rival. He didn’t know what love meant. So he decided to teach them a lesson. To see if they really did love each other. Yes, he was probably mad for doing this but he needed to know if Lando and Max really loved and cared for each other. He headed over to his car and opened the boot. He grabbed the petrol can and box of matches before closing the door and headed to the main door. No one was there. Security had only caught sight of him when he walked through the main doors. Good, he thought. At least there would be no witnesses. He poured petrol all over the door and on the ground. He then raced round to the back of the club, dousing the bins and back door in petrol before throwing the empty can on the ground. He carefully pulled out a match before striking it on the side of the box. When a flame was created, he threw the match down on the ground. Jos watched as the flame grew bigger and spread quickly. He then raced back to the entrance, making sure not to step on the puddle he had made. Another match was pulled out, another flame glowed and it was dropped onto the floor. Again, the flame spread quickly and rapidly burned the doors. He stepped back. He watched on for a moment before heading to his car. Turning on the ignition, he paid no attention to the fire that was now burning the club. A great sight. 

He drove away from the scene, never looking back.


	2. The Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fire rages in the club as everyone attempts to escape. Will everyone make it out alive? Will they be alright?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter added! This one focuses on the escape. I have to say I'm obviously not an expert in fires so if I'm wrong in any aspect, I do apologise. Hey, it's fiction so really I can write what I want! Also, I'm no medical expert, I just know that too much smoke is bad for the lungs. The next chapter will focus on the aftermath of the fire so whether people survive. Jos may possibly feature... Maybe we'll see more of Lando and Carlos... Let me know what you guys think! What did you make of this chapter and what would you like to see in the next chapter? Please leave comments!

The flames grew rapidly and smoke began to pour into the club through the roof. No one could see the corridor filling up with hot air as the flames were yet to burst into the main room where the party was being held. 

Meanwhile, in the club, everyone was trying to relax after Jos’ disruption. Max had his arms wrapped tightly around Lando, his drink neglected as it sat on the table. Daniel, Alex and Sacha were trying to cheer up Lando, no one saw the smirk that Carlos had given Max and Lando when Jos entered to cause trouble. He kept his gaze on his young teammate from where he was still standing at the bar, casually sipping his drink. Time seemed to pass before the occasional mutter went around the room about the heat. No one knew why it was suddenly hot, not even thinking about what was going on outside. It wasn’t until a scream could be heard from outside the main doors and they were opened to reveal security scrambling to stop the fire which was spreading from the entrance and into the club. Everyone began to panic. People jumped out of their seats. Glasses were now smashed on the floor. Alcohol spilled onto the ground leaving puddles. Max held Lando behind his back protectively as he watched the flames in shock. The security guards were attempting to find fire extinguishers but in that moment of need, no one could find any. George and Charles grabbed onto one another as others glanced around the room, looking for an escape. Charles then spotted a fire exit door at the far side of the room, in the opposite direction to the entrance. 

“The fire escape!” He shouted.

He grabbed George’s hand and dragged him to the back of the club. Others followed at the back of him. He pushed the fire exit open but was not prepared for a burst of hot flames to burn him on the arms. Only wearing a t-shirt, the flames burned his skin as he screamed in agony, raising his arms to protect his head.

“Charles!”

The Ferrari driver cried in pain as he was pulled away from the fire by his boyfriend. 

“Water, I need water!” George shouted.

Charles could barely focus on anything as tears clouded his sight. He winced when he felt water being poured on the burns as a barman had chucked a bottle of water over to George from the fridge. Everyone was now backing away from fire exit as smoke began to pour into the room. People struggled to cover their faces in an attempt to not inhale the smoke. Max tried to bury his boyfriend into his chest to shield him from the fire. 

“We need to call the fire brigade.” Alex stated.

Victoria grabbed her phone from her purse and immediately called for emergency services. Having lived in Monaco for a long time and having been in the club many a time, she knew where to direct the fire department to. A security guard rushed into the room, screaming frantically:

“We need water to put the fire out! We need help, the fire is too big!”

The barmen emptied out the fridges grabbing every bottle of water they could find. Some of Lando’s friends grabbed bottles, some went to the entrance and others went to the back of the room, throwing water onto the fire. It wasn’t enough. Daniel and Sacha went behind the bar to fill up glasses with water through the back and they too joined others in trying to stop the fire. The smoke was too thick and getting thicker. Flames continued to burn. Many were struggling. Max had one had with his sweatshirt covering his mouth and nose, his other hand was around Lando, trying to pull him towards his chest. The young Brit felt too hot. The heat in the room was unbearable. This couldn’t be happening. He grabbed onto his boyfriend as he coughed. Trying to take in deep breaths, he knew that he was inhaling the smoke. No one could hear the emergency services. The only sounds that could be heard were that of screaming, coughing and the burning from the flames as they continued to rise and spread along the outside and inside of the club. Soon enough, it wasn’t about stopping the fire, it was about escaping. No one had noticed some of Lando’s friends running down the corridor in the direction of the toilets. They smashed the window and climbed outside, their aim to find nearby help and flag down the fire brigade. Sophie clung onto Victoria who was now crying her eyes out. She could see Adam and Cisca holding onto their children, shielding them from the fire. People watched on as one of the security guards took his suit jacket off and held it over his head before running out and into the flames. It was suicide! He screamed as the flames curled around him. Everyone could hear screaming outside, not knowing whether it was the security guard or other people. 

“We need to get out of here.” Murmured Sacha.

He was still standing beside Daniel behind the bar and when he saw the barmen run out of the room, he knew they had to follow their example. Grabbing onto Daniel’s arm, he tried to pull him along with him but Daniel stood frozen.

“What are you doing?”

“We need to go now.”

We can’t just leave everyone here!” Daniel shouted.

Sacha sighed.

“We’ll be of more use outside than inside! Come on!” He snapped.

When he pulled on Daniel’s arm once more, he was met with no resistance. They raced down the corridor, covering their faces with their arms as the corridor was now drowning in dark smoke. They made it into the toilets. Daniel gave Sacha a hand in climbing out of the window before hauling himself out. Thankfully, Sacha was there to keep him on his feet when he got out as he was still tipsy but had now sobered up because of what had happened. They backed away from the building and watched as the fire continued to take over the entire building.

“Shit.”

“We need to call the fire brigade again.”

Back in the club, Alex was huddled in a booth with George and Charles. They were struggling to not inhale the smoke as George held Charles close to his chest.

“We really need to go. Charles needs those burns looked at.” Alex stated frantically.

George swallowed.

“They’ll just get worse or he’ll burn more. There’s no way out.” He panicked.

Charles had been avoiding looking at the burns. His skin was red and disgusting in his eyes. George had his jacket wrapped around him so he had started to tighten it around his arms, holding by the cries that threatened to leave his mouth. He wanted to get out here. He began coughing again as smoke poured in from the ceiling. 

“We need to go.” He said raspily.

George hauled Charles gently out of the booth as Alex wrapped an arm around his back. Where could they go? Lando’s coughing was getting worse to the point that even Carlos came closer to see if his teammate was alright.

“I’m fine!” He snapped when Carlos tried to touch him.

Max stared at Carlos in confusion. His boyfriend rarely ever raised his voice never mind snap at anyone. What was going on? He didn’t have time to think about that as Lando’s coughs worsened.

“Deep breaths, Lando, deep breaths.” He soothed.

Lando grabbed the front of Max’s sweatshirt and looked him in the eye seriously. 

“I can’t breathe.” He struggled.

Max swallowed and shook his head. 

“We’re going to be alright, babe. We’ll get out of here.”

A tear slid down Lando’s face as he coughed harshly and leaned in to press his forehead against Max’s.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Lando pulled Max into a deep kiss, pouring his love and guilt into that one kiss as he cupped Max’s cheek. He reluctantly pulled away and looked Max in the eye again before he dropped to the floor.

“Lando!”

Max didn’t have time to catch his boyfriend who fell to the floor in a heap. The Dutchman fell onto the floor as well, cupping Lando’s face in his hands.

“Lando! Please, wake up! Please!” He begged.

Tears started to steam down his face. He barely noticed Carlos standing behind him, concerned about his teammate but not wanting to crowd Max. The two drivers weren’t paying attention to the arrival of Lando’s parents who raced over from where they had been shielding Lando’s sisters.

“My baby!” 

Cisca sobbed as she collapsed to the floor by Lando’s head and started stroking his hair. Adam had his hands on Cisca’s shoulders as his daughters were standing by the side, crying. They were too busy focussing on Lando that they almost didn’t hear the shouts behind them. 

Meanwhile, outside the club, Daniel had called the fire brigade again. Swearing down the phone that they had to come instantly. He also asked for an ambulance knowing that people would probably need oxygen and would need burns to be healed. He and Sacha headed in the direction of the entrance. They could see the security guard on the floor crying and breathing harshly from the smoke. He looked dreadful. His suit was blackened due to the flames and his face was bright red from the heat. Some of Lando’s friends and engineers who had also escaped were running around nearby houses, trying to get water or even a hose. Someone caught lucky and grabbed one from a house nearby but the pipe wasn’t long enough to reach the front of the club so they went to the back to attempt to stop the fire that had originally started in the bins. Then a siren sounded. It was one they had all been waiting for. One siren then two then three. Two fire trucks arrived along with the sound of more sirens as ambulances eventually arrived on the scene.

“There’s still people in there! Get them out from the back!” Daniel shouted frantically. 

The firefighters grabbed the hoses, some went to the entranced to pour water over it whilst others ran to the back. In the other fire truck, the firefighters raised the ladder to tackle the fire that had spread onto the roof of the club. All the firefighters had oxygen tanks attached to their backs as some of the began entering the club from the back. They began shouting. 

It was then that Max looked up and saw firefighters coming into the back of the club. Whilst smoke was still pouring in, it wasn’t as bad as before as the firefighters outside battled to stop the flames growing.

“We have men outside using the hose to get the fire out. We need to leave now incase the roof comes down. Let’s go!” One of them instructed carefully.

Adam knelt down as if to take Lando into his arms but Max shooed him away.

“Help Lando’s sisters, I’ll get Lando.” He insisted.

Adam nodded and wrapped an arm around Flo before making their way out of the club. Thankfully, the fire exit seemed mainly clear but smoke still filled the outside although the firefighters were quickly gaining control over it. Cisca and Oliver wrapped their arms around Lando’s youngest sister as they too ran out. Carlos led Sophie and Victoria out as more firefighters came in to help lead people out. Max gently lifted Lando into his arms bridal style as he took a moment to look down at him. His eyes were shut and his breathing was strained. Max was grateful for the hand that was placed on his back in support as a firefighter helped him out. Another came in and walked at the back of Alex, Charles and George, insisting that they see a paramedic when Alex told him about the burns. Everyone was no out safely but not out of danger yet.

Max placed Lando on the ground carefully as paramedics immediately moved in on, putting an oxygen mask on his face and checking his breathing. Sophie ran forward and pulled Max into her arms, letting him cry on her shoulder as Victoria moved to wrap her arms around her brother too. George guided Charles to an ambulance, a paramedic frowning at the harsh coughs that were still coming from the younger driver. Lando was placed onto a stretcher and rolled into an ambulance. The family looked around at each other wondering who should go with Lando. Max pulled away from his mum and rubbed a hand over his face before Adam grabbed his wrist and pulled him in the direction of the ambulance.

“Go with him.”

Max sat beside Lando, grabbing his hand as he looked out at the family watching on before the ambulance doors closed and the vehicle raced away, sirens and lights blazing. George sat in the ambulance with Charles as it headed to the hospital too. For everyone else, they quickly made their way to the hospital, some in need to check ups to be sure they weren’t suffering from smoke inhalation and some had burns that needed urgent healing. Lando’s family as well as Max’s family found him in the waiting area.

“Where is he?” Cisca asked.

“They’ve taken him away for tests. He’s suffering from smoke inhalation.” Max replied.

They all sat in the waiting area as they waited for a doctor to come with news. Before a doctor could meet them, Carlos and Alex arrived and waited with them. Max soon began to grow impatient as he started to pace around until a doctor with a solemn expression headed in their direction. 

“Family of Lando Norris?” He asked.

Max halted whilst Adam and Cisca got up out of their seats to greet him.

“I’m afraid that Lando is in a serious condition. Smoke inhalation has attacked his lungs which has weakened his breathing. We will have to put him on a ventilator until he can breathe on his own and I have to warn you, he’s in a critical condition. He might be alright, he might not be.” the doctor informed them.

Cisca raised a hand to cover her mouth as tears rolled down her face. Adam wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Sophie got up and pulled Max into a hug when she thought he might break down on the spot.

“We’ve been doing tests but we’re going to get a bed ready for Lando. When he’s settled, I’ll come back and take you to him.” The doctor announced.

Adam nodded and whispered a thank you before wrapping his arms entirely around his wife who broke down. Alex and Carlos sat in silence. The Spaniard was deeply concerned for his teammate, wanting to see him immediately. Alex was concerned about both Lando and Max. He also hoped that Charles would be alright. Everyone sat together quietly as they waited for the doctor to return so that they could go and see Lando. In that time, George and Charles arrived having already seen a doctor. Charles was still cough bad hacking coughs as his burns were now covered by bandages. 

“You still sound really bad, are you sure you’re alright?” Alex asked.

“I’m fine.” Charles muttered.

The young driver had filled George and Charles in on Lando’s condition, both drivers praying that he would be alright. They sat there in silence, no one in the mood to talk. Charles continued coughing but no one wanted to annoy him by bringing it up nor did they mention the bandages. Eventually, Charles turned to George.

“I’m going to get a bottle of water from the vending machine.” He hoarsely said.

George watched him in concern as his boyfriend struggled out of his seat. He made one or two steps when he collapsed without warning.

“Charles!”

The young Ferrari driver couldn’t breathe. He coughed and coughed but it made him feel sick and he couldn’t stop. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see George with a terrified expression on his face. The Brunette almost cried at the look in Charles’ eyes, he look petrified.

“It’s alright, it’s alright.” He soothed.

It wasn’t. Charles grabbed the collar of George’s jacket, clinging on for dear life as he tried to express to pain and struggle he was going through. He panicked when he felt hands pull him away from George as he tried to stop coughing. An oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth and he couldn’t hear the soothing voice of his boyfriend who was trying to calm him down. He struggled against the arms pinning him down on the stretcher as he vaguely noticed that he was being pulled away, further and further from his boyfriend.

Everyone was in shock as they watched Charles struggling for breath. They thought he was alright but clearly he wasn’t.

When the doctors pushed the stretcher with Charles away, George wanted to run after it and stay with his boyfriend but Alex held him back. He watched as the young Ferrari driver disappeared from sight. A tear rolled down his face in despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Lando be alright? Will Charles be alright?


	3. The Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lando and Charles recover in hospital. Will they be alright?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter! I hope everyone has enjoyed the story and that everyone enjoys this last chapter. I probably could've written more chapters but then I wouldn't know when to end it so I ended it with a chapter focusing on the recovery of Lando and Charles, surrounded with their families. Who knows what will happen with Jos... I apologise for the technical terms in the story. As you can see, I'm not a doctor so take from it what you will. Thanks to everyone for their comments and support!

Everyone was still sitting in the waiting room, hoping that the doctor would return soon so they could go and see Lando. George was fidgeting. He would sit for a minute or so with his head in his hands before heading over to reception to see where Charles was. Alex had to hold him back from snapping at the poor nurses who would pass every so often. He knew that George was concerned about his boyfriend but he had to be patient. A little while later, the doctor who was helping Lando returned resulting in Cisca and Adam jumping up from their seats followed by Max. 

“We’ve moved Lando to ICU. As I said earlier, he’s on a ventilator until his breathing improves. He’s in a critical condition, we’ll be monitoring him very closely. It will be touch and go but hopefully he’ll start breathing on his own soon. Right now, we just have to wait.” The doctor informs everyone.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the news. Max stepped forward carefully.

“Can we see him?” He asked hesitantly.

The doctor nodded.

“Of course. Follow me.” 

Adam and Cisca followed the doctor immediately. Max looked towards Alex who was sitting beside George who was busy looking at the floor.

“You go. I’ll stay with him.” Alex said softly.

Max nodded and headed off after Lando’s parents with Sophie in tow. Victoria stayed in the waiting area, she had called her boyfriend and was awaiting a lift. She just wanted to go home, she was exhausted and Sophie had agreed that there was nothing she could since everyone would have to wait for Lando to recover. Alex stayed with George, keeping an eye on his friend. Carlos sat in the corner on his own, completely forgotten.

Max sat beside Lando’s bed, gripping onto his hand. Cisca was sitting opposite Max, holding her son’s hand whilst also stroking his hair. Silent tears ran down her face. Adam sat beside her with an arm around her shoulder. Sophie stood outside as she observed the scene in front of her. She could hear that machine, the ventilator, from outside the room. It wasn’t fair. Lando should’ve been celebrating his birthday with his friends, not lying in a hospital bed unable to breathe. She didn’t want to intrude. That’s why she was standing outside. She blinked quickly as tears gathered in her eyes. She decided to head outside for some fresh air. Hopefully Lando would be alright. 

Alex and George were still waiting on a doctor returning. Thankfully, a doctor came and greeted them.

“Family of Charles Leclerc?”

George and Alex stood up swiftly.

“I’m his boyfriend, George and Alex is a friend.” He introduced.

The doctor nodded.

“We believe that Charles suffered a delayed reaction to the smoke. He is suffering from smoke inhalation and he’s on a ventilator. Only time will tell as to whether he’ll wake up and breathe on his own. He’s in ICU at the moment. I thought it would be better to take you to him.”

George nodded frantically and followed the doctor to Charles’ room. He swallowed nervously when he walked past Lando’s room. He was in the same situation as Charles: critical. The doctor left Alex and George alone in the room, advising them to hit the call bell if Charles’s condition changed. Alex went and sat down on the right hand side of Charles. George was standing at the end of his boyfriend’s bed, holding onto the edge of the bed. Alex looked up at George seeing that he hadn’t moved to sit down.

“George?”

The brunette stayed quiet as he held back tears. 

“George?” Alex repeated.

He finally raised his head. 

“He will be alright.” Alex insisted.

George nodded.

“I need to call his mum.” He murmured.

Alex looked at his friend in sympathy.

“I’ll stay with Charles.”

George nodded and slowly made his way out of the room. Alex turned back around when George returned 15 minutes later and he looked pale and had tear marks on his face. Alex was glad that he hadn’t made the call. He had no idea how difficult it had been for George to call his boyfriend’s mum but he could only imagine. George finally made his way over to Charles’ bed, slumping down in the seat and grabbed his hand. He flinched when he heard the ventilator. His bottom lip wobbled as he looked at the machine that was keeping his boyfriend alive. Charles had to wake up. He would wake up.

Max glanced over to Lando’s parents. He had no idea what time it was but he figured it was stupid o’clock in the morning. Both Adam and Cisca were asleep resting back in their seats, holding each others hands as Cisca had her head resting on her husband’s shoulder. Max liked it when Lando rested his head on his shoulder. He would do anything to have Lando wake up right now. Max was exhausted. He had been sitting by his boyfriend’s bed all night, well really it was the early hours of the morning. The ventilator was keeping him awake and he wasn’t even using the machine. The only sound in the room was the soft breathing coming from Lando’s parents as they slept as well as the ventilator. Whilst Max was grateful that it was keeping his boyfriend alive, he was beginning to get sick of the noise. It was too real. It was just after 6am when Lando’s parents woke up and sadly for them there was no change. Cisca was trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes and Adam turned to look at her as he winced having been stretching.

“Why don’t we go and get something to drink, stretch our legs while we’re at it?” He questioned.

Cisca looked ready to argue until Adam interrupted her.

“He won’t be on his own love, Max will be here. Then he can go and get something.” He soothed.

Cisca looked towards Max who nodded gently. Cisca sighed and took Adam’s hand as he stood up. They both looked back towards Lando before quietly leaving the room. Max leaned down on the rail of the bed, still holding onto Lando’s hand.

“Just you and me, kid.”

He let out a chuckle. Lando hated being referred to as a kid.

“You need to wake up for me, alright? Your parents are going crazy sitting here and I’m not doing any better. I love you so much. I can’t wait to see you awake again.” He murmured. 

He lifted Lando’s hand and kissed it gently before placing it back on the bed, still holding onto it, never wanting to let him go.

Meanwhile, in Charles’ room, Alex had fallen asleep a few hours ago. George knew that he would feel guilty when he woke up but he left his friend, not wanting to disturb him when he was actually getting sleep. He knew that the minute Charles’ mum arrived he would probably be getting sent back to her house or Charles’ apartment to sleep. Alex had already told him on multiple occasions already that he looked dreadful. He was exhausted but he refused to sleep, not when Charles was like this. He would only go when he knew that Charles was alright, he would probably not go either when Charles wakes up but he didn’t want anything to happen. When he had been on the phone to Charles’ mum, he told her not to come to the hospital straight away. Part of him knew that there would be a lot of waiting around as he had done already but he knew it would be difficult for her to go near a hospital after the death of her husband and Jules. She told him she would let the family know before coming later in the morning. Just before 6am, he was startled when Alex woke up, having been drifting on and off into sleep. The young driver looked bleary eyed around the room. Charles was still on a ventilator and George was still stubbornly sitting by his boyfriend’s side. Bloodshot eyes and a tired expression had Alex knowing that George hadn’t moved from his spot. He sighed. At this rate, George was going to end up in hospital if he didn’t take care of himself. They sat in silence as they watched over Charles. About 10 minutes later, they were both interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Charles’ mum. George nearly broke down as he made his way over to her, hugging her tightly. She had her hands over her face in shock when she came in as she took in the sight of her little boy on the bed, attached to a ventilator. She was grateful when George came and comforted her. As they pulled apart, George headed back over to his seat and Alex got up quickly, insisting that Pascale take his seat. She didn’t want to cause a fuss but he put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

“I was planning on going to the cafe anyway. I need a drink and I was going to get something for George too. I’ll get a drink for you too if you want one.” He said soothingly.

Pascale declined and carefully took Alex’s seat when he moved away. He told George he would grab him some water before he left the room. As he made his way down the corridor, he passed Lando’s room. He looked into the room through the window to see only Max sitting by the bed so he decided to check on his friend and teammate. He carefully knocked on the door and entered quietly, just standing with his back to the door. Lando was in the exact same situation as Charles so Alex was aware that George and Max would be feeling the same emotions.

“How is he?” Alex asked softly.

Max sighed.

“It’s touch and go. He just has to wake up. He’s in a critical condition and he can’t breathe on his own. I’ll be so glad when he wakes up, Alex, I can’t stand to see him like this.” Max replied tearfully.

Alex looked at his teammate in sympathy.

“How’s Charles?” Max asked tentatively.

Alex nearly smiled. Whilst Charles and Max were rivals on track and didn’t get on that much, Max was still concerned and Alex probably knew it was because Lando got on with Charles as he was George’s boyfriend.

“He’s in the same situation as Lando. He’s on a ventilator too. Took a delayed reaction to the smoke but ultimately George is just waiting for him to wake up too.” Responded Alex.

“I know the feeling.” Max mumbled.

“Charles’ mum has just arrived. I’m heading to the cafe to get something for myself and George if you want to come as well.” Alex suggested.

Max shook his head. 

“Lando’s parents are away and I don’t want to leave him on his own. I’ll get something when they come back.” Informed Max.

Alex nodded in understanding.

“He’ll be alright, Max. He will be.” Insisted Alex.

Max sniffed.

“Yeah. Tell George I’ll be thinking about him and Charles.”

Alex nodded gently and left the room quietly. Max stretched his legs from where they were still resting on the floor. He winced. He had been sitting in the chair for far too long but he couldn’t leave Lando. A knock at the door had him looking up in alarm. The door opened to reveal Carlos.

“Hey.” Max called out.

“Hey.” Carlos replied softly.

Max looked down at his boyfriend before looking back up at Carlos

“I don’t suppose you could sit with Lando for a bit, I think I need to stretch my legs. I’ve been sitting in this chair all night. His parents are away to the cafe downstairs and I don’t want him to be alone.” Max said.

Carlos was speechless for a minute.

“I won’t be long.” Max continued.

The Spaniard nodded and went to sit down in Max’s seat as the Dutchman slowly got up and headed out of the room. Carlos nearly cried out when he heard the noises coming from the ventilator. Lando looked so small lying in the bed and Carlos’ heart nearly broke. He leaned in closer and stroked Lando’s hair back repeatedly.

“I’m sorry about what happened at the club between you and I but I just couldn’t help myself. It pains me to see you and Max together. I think I love you, Lando. We get on so easily and you’re a funny guy. What’s not to like about you? Max deserves you though and you deserve him as much as it kills me. Seeing him protect you last night, I know I can’t come between you. It’s not fair. Just take care of him please. I know things between us probably won’t be the same again but if we remain friends that’s all I ask for. I love you.”

A tear fell down his face as he continued to watch over Lando. He was unaware of the situation outside the room. Max had been pacing up and down the corridor to get the circulation in his legs going again. He had been debating on whether or not to go and see Charles but he didn’t want to intrude. He turned back up the corridor to return to Lando’s room when his dad came through the double doors. He glanced back in the direction of Charles’ room before glaring at his dad.

“What are you doing here?” He sneered.

Jos chuckled. Max’s nostrils flared at the sight of his father laughing. This was no laughing matter. 

“I wanted to see how little Lando was doing.” He replied calmly.

Max narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve never cared about him before, why are you here?” He asked carefully.

Jos stopped laughing and stared at Max.

“I wanted to see if my work was done.”

Max looked confused. Jos was looking back at him as if he was waiting for his son to know what he was talking about. Realisation kicked in and Max looked furious.

“You mean, he’s in there because of you.” Max nearly snapped.

“Well done, my son. You finally worked it out.” Jos said sarcastically.

Max had to hold back tears. It had been his father all alone. He hadn’t really thought about the fire. Of course they can be started deliberately but he also knew that the club was old and that it could’ve been possible for a fault to have occured and then for the fire to have spread quickly. Max knew that he had to call the police but he couldn’t do it with Jos still here. His father seemed to sense what he was thinking before grabbing Max and shoving him against the wall. He leaned in close to whisper into his son’s ear:

“If you dare call the police, I’ll come back and rip that machine away from your precious little boyfriend and then he’ll be dust.” 

He held Max back for a little longer as his son struggled against him. Eventually, he let him go and glared at him before leaving and headed back through the double doors he’d come out from. Max breathed heavily. He quickly pulled out his phone and called the police. No one was investigating the fire as it turned out. He told the operator what had happened with regards to the fire and what had just happened in the hospital. They said they would look into it. Max sighed as he hung up the call. He would have to deal with the situation and his dad later. For now, his main priority was wanting Lando to wake up and recover. He opened the door to Lando’s room, glaring at Carlos from across the room. He should never have left, he needed to protect Lando. Carlos was shocked when Max barged back into the room, he frowned, noticing that the young man was slightly out of breath. He swallowed nervously as Max glared at him. Had the Dutchman heard what he said to Lando? Max came into the room and held the door open.

“Thanks for staying with him, Carlos, but I’m here now.” Snapped Max.

Carlos was confused by Max’s behaviour. With one look back at Lando, he slowly stood up from the seat and went out of the room, not looking at Max as he passed. He jumped in alarm when the door slammed shut behind him. He left the corridor, not noticing Max slumping down into the seat he had previously been sitting in. The Dutchman didn’t leave his boyfriend’s side when Lando’s parents returned. He told them what happened with Jos. They looked shocked and concerned but Max said that as long as someone was with Lando, that everything would be alright. 

Alex ended up having to return to the hotel he was supposed to have been staying at as he would be late for check in and all his belongings were there. He had called his parents who were desperate for him to come home. This was around 9am and still there had been no sign of Charles nor Lando waking up. George told Alex to fly home when his friend called him from the hotel. He wasn’t offended by Alex’s parents wanting him to come home straight away plus there was nothing Alex could do but sit and wait. At least George had Pascale waiting with him so he wasn’t alone and Charles had his mother beside him. 

No one moved from Lando’s side. They were just desperate for him to wake up and they didn’t want to miss out. Max couldn’t be entirely sure that he was actually awake when he saw Lando’s eyes twitch. Then it happened again and he moved closer to look at Lando carefully.

“What’s wrong, Max?” Adam called out.

“His eyes twitched.” Replied Max softly.

Adam and Cisca looked at each other before keeping their eye on lando, trying not to get their hopes up. Lando’s eyes slowly opened and Max’s let out a sob. Lando dazedly turned to look at his boyfriend until he became aware of the tube that was down his throat and he panicked. Max immediately leaned in closer to Lando as he grabbed his boyfriend’s hand which was trying to fight with the tube. Lando looked into his eyes pleadingly as if he was asking him to get rid of it. Max hadn’t noticed Adam press the call button or run out into the corridor to look for someone, all his attention on Lando.

“Babe, baby, just calm down. The tube has been there to help you breathe. We’ll get someone to remove it, you’re alright now. It’s alright.” Whispered Max.

Lando calmed down a little as he watched his boyfriend but his heart rate picked up when several doctors entered the room. He whined when Max was dragged away from him and he thrashed around on the bed, wanting his boyfriend back.

“Everything’s alright, Lando. They’re only there to help you.” Max shouted over the chaos in the room.

It was around about lunchtime when George once again found himself nearly falling asleep. Pascale had gone to grab them food and was going to be calling Charles’ brothers. George had felt guilty earlier on as he had only been texting his parents recently. He had called them to let them know about Charles’ condition but other than that, he didn’t want to leave to call anyone. This was the time that wished Pascale was here as his hand slipped from where it had been resting on his elbow. Since Pascale’s arrival, she had been telling both George and Charles stories from the young driver’s childhood in order to wake him up and tell his mum off for embarrassing him in front of his boyfriend. Nothing had happened yet. George froze when he saw Charles’ head move. Had he been dreaming? His head moved again and suddenly his eyes snapped open. George instantly jumped onto his feet and grabbed his boyfriend’s face, carefully holding onto him to get his attention as his eyes darted around the room.

“Hey, I’m here. You’re alright now. Your mum is here too. Now you just relax and I’ll call a doctor to come and remove this tube.” Said George softly.

Charles kept his eye on George as the brunette reached over him to press the button on the call bell. George smiled gently down at Charles who never looked away from his boyfriend. Everything would be alright now, George just had to get in touch with Pascale who was downstairs in the hospital cafe. 

It took a bit of time for Lando to wake up again. Max and Lando’s parents were allowed back into the room once Lando had calmed down. He was out of danger for now. He’d be staying in the hospital until he had rested enough and doctors were sure that his lungs were alright. They all had to admit that the oxygen mask was a better sight than the ventilator. Max sat by Lando’s head again, holding his boyfriend’s hand in his as he waited for him to wake up. Cisca held her son’s other hand as she stroked his hair like she used to do when he was a child and had a nightmare. Max tilted his head when Lando let out a deep breath from behind the mask. His head moved to the side that was facing Max. He slowly opened his eyes and sleepily looked up at Max. The Dutchman smiled as he leaned in closer to Lando.

“Hey, babe. I’m so glad you’re awake. Everything is alright now. We’re here.” Whispered Max.

Lando turned around to look at his parents who had tears in their eyes knowing that Lando would be alright. He turned back to look at Max and squeezed his hand. His boyfriend rubbed his thumb over his hand.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Max murmured.

Lando’s eyes drooped as Cisca continued to stroke his hair. His eyes snapped opened again before falling closed. He whined at the struggle to stay awake as he glanced over at Max.

“Sleep. It’s alright.” He soothed.

Lando let out a noise behind the mask before his eyes closed once more and didn’t open again as he drifted off to sleep. Max moved forward and kissed Lando’s forehead before pulling back. He blushed as Adam and Cisca smiled fondly at him. They were glad that Lando had Max in his life. 

For George, he struggled to get in touch with Pascale. Her phone was engaged and he didn’t want to go searching for her in the hospital, he didn’t want to get lost either. He called his parents to let them know that Charles was breathing on his own. They were so happy at the news. Once the doctor had explained Charles’ current condition, he returned to his boyfriend’s bedside. He held onto Charles’ hand again as he gazed down at him. He felt more awake now that Charles was alright but deep down, he was exhausted. About ten minutes later, Charles grew restless. He kept shifting about on the bed and squeezing George’s hand. The younger man placed a hand on his boyfriend’s forehead and he shushed him gently. He settled down into sleep again. After a minute or so, his eyes slowly opened and he turned his head to look at George. He frowned as he saw tears falling down his boyfriend’s face. George was trying to smile at him to tell him that everything was okay but relief took over and he let the tears fall. Charles took his hand out of George’s and raised it to cup his face, his eyes softening when George held onto his hand. He couldn’t look away from George. His eyes were drawn to the bandages on his arms and he looked back at his left arm. He tried to pull his hand away from George but the young man wouldn’t let him. 

“You are beautiful the way you are. The doctor said you might have scars because of the burns but for me, they’ll remind me that you’re still here. I don’t want to lose you.” George murmured.

Charles’ eyes widened at George’s words. He sighed behind the mask as he let George hold onto his hand, his eyes falling shut. He let out a quiet murmur as he felt George kissing his hand gently and with the knowledge that George would be there for him and didn’t about what he looked like, he fell asleep. George let more tears fall. The doctor had told him that Charles would probably have scars from the fire on his arms but they couldn’t be sure until they unwrapped the bandages. George didn’t care. As long as Charles was alive and breathing, that’s all that mattered. Pascale came into the room not longer after Charles had fallen asleep. She looked concerned as she noticed that George was crying. He let out a watery laugh as he wiped at his face.

“He woke up, Pascale. He’s alright.” 

Pascale raised a hand to cover her mouth as tears threatened to take over. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment as she closed her eyes. Tears fell as she made her way over to her son’s bed. 

For the rest of the day, Lando and Charles had their families by their sides as they recovered. Max would have to deal and life with knowing what Jos had done but right now, he had to protect his boyfriend and take care of him. George knew it would be a struggle for Charles living with the scars from the fire, but he promised himself that he would be with him every step of the way.


End file.
